Women claim man made inappropriate advances

Less than two weeks after an Arkansas jury found Arron Lewis guilty of abducting and killing Realtor Beverly Carter in 2014, demonstrating the ultimate risk that Realtors and real estate agents face in their chosen profession, Tampa-area police are asking for the public’s help to find a man accused of preying on female real estate agents.

According to WTSP.com, two female agents reported being subjected to inappropriate advances by a man who lured them to showings alone.

A Ryan Homes sales agent says a man walked into the model home in Gibsonton posing as a potential buyer. She says he got too close as she showed him around, showering her with compliments.

At Ayersworth Glen the agent says when she shook his hand, he pulled her close and hit on her.

One of the women says while showing him a map on her desk he rubbed his groin area up against her hand.

According to the WTSP report, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a white male suspect, who is approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall, with a medium build.

The unsettling news from Tampa comes on the heels of a similar situation in Omaha, Nebraska, and others in a disturbing trend.

Earlier this month, the Omaha Area Board of Realtors warned its more than 2,500 members about reports that a “suspicious character” was attempting to coerce female agents into meeting at what turned out to be fake home showings.

Ben Lane is the Senior Financial Reporter for HousingWire. In this role, he helps set a leading pace for news coverage spanning the issues driving the U.S. housing economy. Previously, he worked for TownSquareBuzz, a hyper-local news service. He is a graduate of University of North Texas. Follow Ben on Twitter at @BenLaneHW.

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